Getting There/Driving There/Packing to Get There

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You will have lots of flight options but Heathrow and Amsterdam are your primary entry points.  Allow yourself ample time, at least an hour in each of those, to get through all the lines.  At Heathrow you have to stay in the main waiting area until your gate is posted about 30 minutes before your flight.  There's plenty of food and shopping possibilities in the main waiting area.  

If you are going to the north of Scotland, the Highland area, we highly recommend flying into Inverness.  It's a smaller airport and much easier to navigate the traffic when you leave, especially if you are not used to driving on "the wrong side" of the road.   

If you fly into Edinburgh but are not staying there very long, try getting a room at one of the airport hotels and taking the train into town for a one day excursion. 

The airlines are much more strict on the size of carry-on bags on shorter hops.  Be sure to check the allowed size and measure your bags!!!  We had to rearrange items among four of us to bring everything on board on our first flight from Amsterdam into Scotland - not fun!

Do not plan to get off the airplane, hop into a rental car and drive a couple hours to your destination --- it's not safe.  You will be tired from the flight and not at your best to negotiate city traffic, read the GPS, and get around the traffic circles all while driving on the "wrong" side of the road.  Spend the first night near the airport and start exploring fresh the next morning. 

Budget, Enterprise and Alamo all rent out of the airports, but we recommend using Arnold Clark.  Check your credit cards for discounts on insurance coverage, etc.  For example, using American Express can cut your insurance costs. 

Couple things to watch if you have not rented cars in Europe:

 -- Be sure you specify if you want an automatic transmission. Driving a standard is standard.  

Adding a second driver gets expensive, about another ten pounds a day.

GPS:  Rent one with your car or bring your own from home.  You will use it!  Google maps can be okay, but doesn't always cover some areas and, of course, you have to have an overseas phone plan.  Mike and I use  Google Fi which has great coverage and costs nothing compared to Verizon and some others.

Now, about driving:

Drive on the left, so it's your right shoulder to the center.  (Took awhile for me not to climb over the center of the car while Mike got used to how much room he had on the left of the car!  Those Scottish hedge rows and stone fences get really close.)

Speeding tickets are NASTY - don't go there.

Walking in town:

It's often painted on the intersections in the cities --  Look right, left, right.  In the US, the car which would hit you first would come from the left so we look left first.  Do that crossing an intersection in the U.K. and it could be an ugly ending to your trip.

1.  UK is 220 volt with a three-prong plug.  Pick up some plug adapters to take with you.  All your electronics will charge with just the adapter and your regular charger.  

2.  The one thing which will not work with just a plug adapter is a hairdryer.  Most of the hotels/lodges provide hairdryers, but check where you are staying.  Razors will work in the bathroom outlets and don't need even need an adapter.

3.  You get big, fluffy towels, but no wash cloths.  We always take a few.

4.  Ice cubes are a commodity.  You may have one ice cube tray to share.  Grab a couple to bring with you - they don't take much room in the suitcase.  You can also buy neat "plastic bag" ice cube makers at Tesco. 

4.  I take picnic size salt and pepper shakers and very small containers of spices with me, primarily for breakfasts.  I also take my own kitchen knives.

5.  As part of environmental  improvements, merchants have to charge for shopping bags.  it's only 15 pence a bag, but it's easy just to bring a couple of your own (and not look like a total tourist).  (We do get a couple new ones at the Tesco grocery store because they have neat ones.)

Yes, it rains a lot in Scotland!  The most important packing advice we can offer is -- take a pair of comfortable water-proof shoes!

For the most part, dress in Scotland is casual, jeans accepted just about every where except a golf course.  For a fall trip, pack a couple pairs of jeans or maybe corduroys, a couple short-sleeve shirts, a couple long-sleeve and either vests or sweaters with a water-proof jacket and you're good to go.  It might be good to add a pair of gloves and a scarf or hat. 

I tell myself every trip -- do not over pack!!!  Keep your wardrobe simple with dual-use for every piece that goes in the suitcase.  You will want plenty of room to bring home all the great stuff you buy in Scotland. 

 Be aware, if your housing includes a laundry, it may be a washer/dryer combination and will take three hours to do a very small load.  There are laundromats and cleaners in most good sized villages. 

A side note -- if you plan to enjoy a nightcap at the end of your day, buy your liquor in the duty free shop as you go into the country -- it's much cheaper than buying bottles in Scotland due to the VAT tax.